A Blur to Me Now
1991 album by 13 Engines
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A Blur to Me Now is the third album by the Canadian band 13 Engines, released in 1991.[1][2] They supported it with North American tours, including one opening for Pere Ubu.[3][4] "Big Surprise" was the first single.[5] The album reached No. 1 on the Canadian College Albums chart.[6]
| A Blur to Me Now | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1991 | |||
| Genre | Rock, pop | |||
| Label | EMI Music Canada | |||
| Producer | David Briggs, John Hanlon | |||
| 13 Engines chronology | ||||
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Production
Recorded in a week at Neil Young's California ranch, the album was produced by David Briggs (who also helped 13 Engines pick the songs) and John Hanlon.[7][8][9] The band had admired the pair's work on Young's Ragged Glory, and also wanted to record live but have an outside voice give feedback.[8][10] The band's manager, Peter Jesperson, was also present for some of the recording sessions, before quitting over the musical direction.[11] The title of the album refers to the period where the band was living in Detroit and hoping to find success.[12] "Throttle Open Wide" is about playing live for only a handful of audience members.[13]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [14] |
| Calgary Herald | D[15] |
| Times & Transcript | [16] |
| Winnipeg Sun | [17] |
The Calgary Herald called the band "four Neil Young wanna-bes, playing guitar-rock that's supposed to sound cut-throat and on the edge, but comes off arrogant and cliched."[15] Likewise, the Chicago Tribune labeled the album "a sharp set of big pop hooks and big, grungy guitar a la Ragged Glory Neil Young."[18] The Hamilton Spectator considered it "no-frills rock 'n' roll that propels itself along magnetically".[19] The Times Colonist praised the "buzzsaw pop sound" and "fine songwriting".[20]
In 2002, the Regina Leader-Post listed A Blur to Me Now as a "classic example" of "CanRock".[21]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Big Surprise" | |
| 2. | "Suffocate" | |
| 3. | "King of Saturday Night" | |
| 4. | "Another Toss of the Coin" | |
| 5. | "You're Nothing If You're Not Strong" | |
| 6. | "Abandoned" | |
| 7. | "Hurry" | |
| 8. | "Clean" | |
| 9. | "Gathered Safely In" | |
| 10. | "Rolling Home Again" | |
| 11. | "Elephant Song" | |
| 12. | "Throttle Open Wide" | |
| 13. | "Night of the Shooting Star" |